Comments on: Open source economics textbook http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/ Nic Brisbourne's view from London on venture capital and exploiting change in technology and media Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:08:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Arnab http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-3442 Arnab Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:27:01 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-3442 Come on guys, let's appreciate McAfee. Have we all become such confirmed cynics that we only know the price of everything but the value of nothing? Come on guys, let’s appreciate McAfee. Have we all become such confirmed cynics that we only know the price of everything but the value of nothing?

]]> By: Arnab http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-11493 Arnab Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:27:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-11493 Come on guys, let's appreciate McAfee. Have we all become such confirmed cynics that we only know the price of everything but the value of nothing? Come on guys, let’s appreciate McAfee. Have we all become such confirmed cynics that we only know the price of everything but the value of nothing?

]]> By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-3157 nic Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:21:01 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-3157 Alan - free sans offsetting and sans advertising is not a business model. Full stop. And, as Josh points out I would argue that advertising is best understood as another form of offsetting. Thanks for all the comments guys. Alan – free sans offsetting and sans advertising is not a business model. Full stop. And, as Josh points out I would argue that advertising is best understood as another form of offsetting.

Thanks for all the comments guys.

]]> By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-11498 nic Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:21:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-11498 Alan - free sans offsetting and sans advertising is not a business model. Full stop. And, as Josh points out I would argue that advertising is best understood as another form of offsetting. Thanks for all the comments guys. Alan – free sans offsetting and sans advertising is not a business model. Full stop. And, as Josh points out I would argue that advertising is best understood as another form of offsetting.

Thanks for all the comments guys.

]]> By: Joshua March http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-3155 Joshua March Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:07:54 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-3155 James - if there's no cost then no-one has to pay. In this case, the only cost is the time to write - distribution is completely free. What Nic has been writing about is the shift of where the value is held. As in the music industry, news, and books, pure data is becoming impossible to charge for. The value is shifting to either the content producer themselves (whether that's watching a musician live, listening to a lecturer or having a researcher at your establishment); or the user engagement that your content creates, which can be sold to advertisers. All data thus becomes, essentially, a marketing tool for something 'real'. Interestingly, Paulo Coelho now actively releases all his books free online. Why? He finds that his physical books actually sell better in countries where the book is spread heavily for free on P2P networks. The value is in the physical book; being able to have access to the raw words makes more people buy the book, rather than the opposite. James – if there’s no cost then no-one has to pay. In this case, the only cost is the time to write – distribution is completely free. What Nic has been writing about is the shift of where the value is held. As in the music industry, news, and books, pure data is becoming impossible to charge for. The value is shifting to either the content producer themselves (whether that’s watching a musician live, listening to a lecturer or having a researcher at your establishment); or the user engagement that your content creates, which can be sold to advertisers. All data thus becomes, essentially, a marketing tool for something ‘real’.

Interestingly, Paulo Coelho now actively releases all his books free online. Why? He finds that his physical books actually sell better in countries where the book is spread heavily for free on P2P networks. The value is in the physical book; being able to have access to the raw words makes more people buy the book, rather than the opposite.

]]> By: Joshua March http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-11497 Joshua March Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:07:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-11497 James - if there's no cost then no-one has to pay. In this case, the only cost is the time to write - distribution is completely free. What Nic has been writing about is the shift of where the value is held. As in the music industry, news, and books, pure data is becoming impossible to charge for. The value is shifting to either the content producer themselves (whether that's watching a musician live, listening to a lecturer or having a researcher at your establishment); or the user engagement that your content creates, which can be sold to advertisers. All data thus becomes, essentially, a marketing tool for something 'real'. Interestingly, Paulo Coelho now actively releases all his books free online. Why? He finds that his physical books actually sell better in countries where the book is spread heavily for free on P2P networks. The value is in the physical book; being able to have access to the raw words makes more people buy the book, rather than the opposite. James – if there’s no cost then no-one has to pay. In this case, the only cost is the time to write – distribution is completely free. What Nic has been writing about is the shift of where the value is held. As in the music industry, news, and books, pure data is becoming impossible to charge for. The value is shifting to either the content producer themselves (whether that’s watching a musician live, listening to a lecturer or having a researcher at your establishment); or the user engagement that your content creates, which can be sold to advertisers. All data thus becomes, essentially, a marketing tool for something ‘real’.

Interestingly, Paulo Coelho now actively releases all his books free online. Why? He finds that his physical books actually sell better in countries where the book is spread heavily for free on P2P networks. The value is in the physical book; being able to have access to the raw words makes more people buy the book, rather than the opposite.

]]> By: alan p http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-3154 alan p Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:06:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-3154 Nic, I think we have to differentiate between Free to make a market (or to flog a book) while offsetting (getting his salary paid elswhere ;-) ) as opposed to Free as sustainable model sans offsetting. This is why I think there are limits to the overall use of FreeConomics as a strategy, as opposed to using it as a tactic. Nic, I think we have to differentiate between Free to make a market (or to flog a book) while offsetting (getting his salary paid elswhere ;-) ) as opposed to Free as sustainable model sans offsetting.

This is why I think there are limits to the overall use of FreeConomics as a strategy, as opposed to using it as a tactic.

]]> By: alan p http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-11496 alan p Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:06:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-11496 Nic, I think we have to differentiate between Free to make a market (or to flog a book) while offsetting (getting his salary paid elswhere ;-) ) as opposed to Free as sustainable model sans offsetting. This is why I think there are limits to the overall use of FreeConomics as a strategy, as opposed to using it as a tactic. Nic, I think we have to differentiate between Free to make a market (or to flog a book) while offsetting (getting his salary paid elswhere ;-) ) as opposed to Free as sustainable model sans offsetting.

This is why I think there are limits to the overall use of FreeConomics as a strategy, as opposed to using it as a tactic.

]]> By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-3152 nic Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:04:33 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-3152 Heheh James. Absolutely right. McAfee may be doing this simply out of the kindness of his heart, but if I were to guess I would say that he is thinking this move will increase his value as a speaker or chances of getting tenure or something. Heheh James. Absolutely right. McAfee may be doing this simply out of the kindness of his heart, but if I were to guess I would say that he is thinking this move will increase his value as a speaker or chances of getting tenure or something.

]]> By: nic http://www.theequitykicker.com/2008/08/21/open-source-economics-textbook/#comment-11495 nic Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:04:00 +0000 http://www.theequitykicker.com/?p=888#comment-11495 Heheh James. Absolutely right. McAfee may be doing this simply out of the kindness of his heart, but if I were to guess I would say that he is thinking this move will increase his value as a speaker or chances of getting tenure or something. Heheh James. Absolutely right. McAfee may be doing this simply out of the kindness of his heart, but if I were to guess I would say that he is thinking this move will increase his value as a speaker or chances of getting tenure or something.

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